UK MAIB issues report on PROSPECT grounding

UK MAIB No 7/2014

The UK MAIB has issued Investigation Report regarding FV PROSPECT grounding on Skibby Baas on 5 August 2013.

The MAIB investigation determined that the skipper had not effectively planned and monitored the vessels passage. He had become distracted in continuing a telephone conversation while altering the vessels course. It is possible that his performance was adversely affected by alcohol that he had consumed earlier in the day.

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A recommendation has been made to the skipper to attend a navigation skills refresher course. A further recommendation has been made to Prospects owner aimed at improving navigation practices and emergency procedures on any future vessels it may own.

Conclusions

Prospect grounded because the skipper became distracted and lost positional awareness due to a telephone conversation and his decision to check whether an email had been received during the departure from Lerwick.
The skipper did not effectively monitor Prospect’s passage after making a course alteration to put Skibby Baas beacon fine on the port bow, and in particular gave insufficient consideration to the potential influence of the tidal stream that was setting the vessel towards Skibby Baas.
The Port Controller’s warning on VHF radio channel 12, that Prospect was heading towards Skibby Baas, was not heeded because the vessel’s VHF radio volume control had been turned down.
The skipper was not aware of the existence of the Lerwick Harbour north entrance sector light, or that Skibby Baas beacon was positioned about 8m from the eastern limit of the rocks, because he had not referred to the relevant nautical charts and publications.
Alcohol consumed earlier in the day might have adversely affected the skipper’s performance.
The track loaded in the chart plotter was one passed on by another fishing vessel skipper in 1997; the risks associated with using potentially out of date data were not recognised.
The chart displayed on the chart plotter is unlikely to have satisfied the requirements of MGN 319 (M+F).
Despite the stability condition of Prospect being unknown while the vessel was aground, the liferafts were not prepared and only one of the crew donned a lifejacket.
The crew had not participated in drills outside guardship duty periods to prepare them for an emergency.